Paruppu Rasam is a traditional South Indian soup made with boiled yellow split pigeon peas, tamarind, tomatoes and spices. The meaning of rasam is ‘juice’ in Hindi but in Southern India, the word refers to a salty and sour soup flavoured with spices. No South Indian meal is complete without rasam. Also known as Saaru and Chaaru in Kannada and Telugu languages, it is a simple basic and traditional recipe.
My rasam recipe is a traditional South Indian rasam recipe and happens to be a family favourite especially on a weekend. Rasam is like a warm hugging soup which is super easy to make and loaded with several healthy ingredients that are medicinally claimed for various ailments. This spicy tangy sour rasam helps in relieving cold and cough. It also helps in digestion and acts as an immunity booster while detoxifying our body naturally.
Rasam has lots of variations. Some of the very popular ones are pepper rasam, tomato rasam, pineapple rasam, beetroot and tomato rasam and many many more regional varieties. Rasam has a distinct taste as compared to sambar due to its ingredients and the consistency.
Rasam is a versatile dish which can be enjoyed as a soup, or it can be served with steamed rice along with a side vegetable dish and with sambar. You can also have idli or vada with rasam. It is simple and easy to prepare in few minutes!
